


Blades of the Kenpachi

by Uskius



Category: Bleach
Genre: Bankai, Explicit Language, Gen, Soul Cutter, Zanpakutou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24541501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uskius/pseuds/Uskius
Summary: This month's special feature in Court of Pure Souls Correspondence is all about the Kenpachi! You may know of juggernauts like Zaraki, so we're getting you up to speed on some of the lesser known Kenpachi. Who was next after the first left? Who exactly was Kiganjo, and who came before him? Find out inside!





	1. Shin'ichiro Uematsu

Shin’ichiro Uematsu (2nd)

====BIO====  
Born a few decades before fortification of the wall around the Court of Pure Souls, he quickly displayed a talent for finding his way into and out of trouble. He became a soul reaper in Yamamoto’s 12th squad, and leveraged his position to take whatever he knew he could get away with, favors and wine as well as women. He became a resourceful and ruthless warrior, known for being exceptionally powerful. As a Kenpachi he was highly divisive, but an effective leader nonetheless who was beloved by a good deal of his squad.

Appearance: Muscular, with barely a spare ounce of fat on his frame; he had wild dark hair that refused to stay combed, and commonly wore a thick and short beard. He had broad shoulders and a deep tan, and rarely wore his captain’s jacket, except to meetings with Yamamoto and other captains.

===STAT FILE===  
Shin’ichiro Uematsu  
Height: 5’5”  
Weight: 160 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Fish  
Birthday: April 27th  
Hobby: Women  
Voted Most Likely To: Start a bar fight

Years As Kenpachi: 73  
Successful Defenses: 467  
Shortest Fight: 0.59 seconds  
Longest Fight: 3m 16s

Battle Stats: Offense: 90, Defense: 70, Mobility: 70, Kido/Reiatsu: 60, Intelligence: 70, Physical Strength: 90, Total: 450.

Most Notable Defense(s): Against Eiji Satomura. The brother of Emi, a girl Shin’ichiro had taken advantage of and assaulted, Eiji’s soul cutter had a small amount of notoriety as being a one-hit kill due to its powerful poison. The fight gave Uematsu his longest scar, which he went to great lengths to keep covered. Though technically not a defense, Uematsu took the title of Kenpachi after it had been left vacant by Yachiru Unohana by defeating Tomohiro Ando in a split-second strike while Ando was confused by the count.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Wolf Gospel

Release Command: Howl

Appearance: Unsealed, it takes the appearance of a very large katar with three blades. The handle guards have the upper profile of a wolf’s head. In its bankai the blades are more claw-like and slightly longer, and Shin’ichiro gains a wolf skin mantle and wolf head cowl; above him hangs a ghostly moon that phases between full and new.

Abilities: Scar is a passively functioning ability that channels wind into increased cutting power, forming blades of air that can cut from a distance; they are normally visible in the manner that most wind attacks are, but can be refined to be practically invisible with some focus. When pushed to the limit multiple slashes can be formed at once.

Preach is an active ability that uses the channeled wind to project a vortex of air from the blades, potentially dealing concussive damage. The angle can be widened, but not all the way to 90 degrees.

Bankai: Hunter Moon. Additional abilities are gained based on which phase the sword is in: New Moon grants increased speed as well as stealth, making Shin’ichiro somewhat blurry and indistinct, and also even greater cutting power; Full Moon gives incredible regeneration and vastly sharpened senses. Phases can’t instantly be switched, but they can be slowed down or sped up, with some effort.


	2. Honechi Tetsuyama

Honechi Tetsuyama (3rd)

====BIO====

Born during the early years of Uematsu’s time as Kenpachi. He loved to roughhouse and fight as a youth, and discovered he had the talent for it and an immense strength, as well. He soaked up all he could of swordsmanship and became a bodyguard to save up enough money to try out to become a soul reaper. He continued to learn and excel, flying up the ranks of Yamamoto’s seventh squad, and before too long eventually challenged Uematsu. He faced some challenges in winning over the squad as Kenpachi, but gained appreciation inside and out of it as his humor and integrity became known.

Appearance: Tetsuyama had a strong jaw and wide nose, and a twinkle in his eyes. His black hair was spiky and often kept short, and he typically wore his uniform top loose and a little open. He was noted to have very hairy forearms and a wide grin.

====STAT FILE====  
Honechi Tetsuyama  
Height: 5’4”  
Weight: 143 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Rice balls  
Birthday: June 18th  
Hobby: Terrible jokes  
Voted Most Likely To: Help you out in a tight spot

Years As Kenpachi: 45  
Successful Defenses: 57  
Shortest Fight: 28 seconds  
Longest Fight: 7m 3s

Battle Stats: Offense: 100, Defense: 70, Mobility: 60, Kido/Reiatsu: 40, Intelligence: 70, Physical Strength: 100, Total: 440.

Most Notable Defense(s): Rikinosuke Otsubo. The third seat of the squad, and strongly loyal to Uematsu. Before Tetsuyama was fully recovered from defeating his former captain he challenged him, and surprisingly, the defense also happened before full recovery. Tetsuyama patiently waited out all of Otsubo’s accusations and insults, but once the skill and power gap became evident, he ended it swiftly and brutally.

Kensuke Shiba: Tetsuyama’s infamous second 3rd seat was another member of one of the five great noble houses; her appointment caused a bit of a stir amongst the squads and royalty. Kensuke Shiba thought to capitalize on what he saw as an apparent shift in attitude in the squad. Though Shiba indeed had power and potential, when he challenged Tetsuyama he was far from ready and was swiftly defeated. The Shiba house tried but was unable to fully suppress the details of the duel, due to Yamamoto’s presence to judge it.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Ironclad

Release Command: Deliver

Appearance: Sealed, it has the appearance of two normal katana. In its shikai one becomes a falchion whose bottom two thirds of the blade are serrated, and has a hamon and fuller. The other becomes a straight double-edged sword with a sharp point. Both swords have cup hilts that taper down towards the pommel. In its bankai, both blades lengthen, the edges curving down over the handle to the pommel and replacing the guards; the falchion widens slightly and gains another fuller, and the double-edged sword becomes the longer of the two.

Abilities: Avenge. In the shikai damage dealt by one blade is stored in the other, and is released all at once on contact. In addition wielding both swords together increases their strength and effectiveness.

Bankai: Steel Accord. The damage stored also increases speed, endurance, and durability. The swords are able to release any amount of stored damage from either blade.


	3. Yushika Momoshigahara

Yushika Momoshigahara (4th)

====BIO====  
Middle child of the main branch of the Momoshigahara noble house. She was not expected to take over the family’s main duty of maintaining the Old Gates, even though she had the aptitude; she still wanted to honor her parents, and instead became a soul reaper. One of her closest friends was Emi Satomura, who had been taken advantage of by Kenpachi Uematsu. Yushika attended the duel between Eiji and Shin’ichiro, and the outcome completely changed the course of her life. She became consumed with vengeance, and trained ceaselessly to defeat Uematsu. That opportunity was never given to her, and furthermore while he was Kenpachi Uematsu never allowed her to attend his defenses.

Under Tetsuyama, she was promoted to the vacant third seat position. She had long since stopped caring for her occupational station, though her family had not; this opened up a rift between them that was never fully mended, and she had many intense arguments with Tetsuyama until one day she had finally had enough waiting. As Kenpachi she was noted for her liberal use of her bankai during succession duels and complete and utter ruthlessness in battle, and for her efficient office. She was never well loved by either her family or squad, but she was widely respected and feared.

Appearance: Momoshigahara had olive skin and eyes as those of the main branch of her house typically did; she had a slight frame, but was noted to be lean and muscular. She was known to have long black hair before becoming Kenpachi, but changed to a short boy cut before challenging Tetsuyama, and kept that style for the remainder of her career. She had delicate features, but always dressed practically, and kept both her uniform and captain’s jacket sleeveless.

====STAT FILE====  
Yushika Momoshigahara  
Height: 5’2”  
Weight: 116 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Plums  
Birthday: December 22nd  
Hobby: Training  
Voted Most Likely To: Retire undefeated

Years As Kenpachi: 251  
Successful Defenses: 32  
Shortest Fight: 0.87 seconds  
Longest Fight: 26m 59s

Battle Stats: Offense: 100, Defense: 100, Mobility: 100, Kido/Reiatsu: 70, Intelligence: 80, Physical Strength: 80, Total: 530.

Most Notable Defense(s): Toragorou Onizuka. Her last and longest defense, seen as a clash between two once in a lifetime talents. Onizuka and his dark and powerful soul cutter Nevermore had been steadily gaining notoriety in the second squad, and he had a considerable amount of support to be the next kenpachi by the time he stepped into the spotlight to challenge Momoshigahara. During the clash the Kenpachi proved why she had become a legend, outsmarting and outfighting Onizuka at every turn- but not defeating him. His resiliency and Nevermore kept him in the fight, and it was what pushed Momoshigahara to use the illegal but then more well-known kido Flame Sword Burial. This was enough to win the duel, but it was at the cost of her life, and it obliterated most of the squad’s buildings.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Grand Chariot

Release Command: Open the gate

Appearance: Sealed, it has an ornate sheath and a small red tassel on the pommel. In its shikai form the guard curls down slightly on one side over the knuckle, and two red braided tassels are attached to it. In its bankai, the base form appears much like the sealed form, but the pommel is a ring with the two braided tassels attached to it; in its Imperial Procession form the blade becomes a fiery shimmer of bright white light, the pommel like a solar corona; Momoshigahara gains a blazing chariot of light which the tassels connect to.

Abilities:  
Shikai: Star Passage. A passive ability that continuously generates star-like portals throughout the area of Momoshigahara’s spiritual pressure. Entering a portal consumes it and teleports to another portal, with Grand Chariot absorbing that star’s energy and being strengthened. With the tassels tethered to the arm the exit portal can be chosen. For a brief fraction of a second while being entered other beings and attacks can follow her through a portal.

Starfall is an active ability. The portals streak towards a target, damaging it on impact and being consumed.

Nova is the second active ability. The portals explode, dealing massive damage and being consumed.

Bankai: Solar Refuge.

Star Passage’s portals grow larger and contain more power, being able to remain for several transports.

Primordial Chasm: A passive ability that turns attacks against Momoshigahara outside of Star Passage rendered “void”, making them ethereal and have reduced power.

Imperial Procession: The power siphoned off from the Star Passage and Primordial Chasm abilities goes into charging up and activating this form. The blade gains immense cutting power, and the chariot drastically increases Momoshigahara’s speed while she is inside it. While inside the chariot and tethered to it contact with incoming attacks can render them either void or a Star Passage portal.


	4. Ujiya Fukushige

Ujiya Fukushige (5th)

====BIO====  
Born to a merchant house, he was reasonably well-off in his youth, but nonetheless wanted to be able to work to support his family and friends. He had seen many soul reapers attain great wealth, and thus set himself on becoming one. He went to the newly formed academy, and there became acquainted with two future captains in Shunsui Kyoraku, and Kuruyashiki. He graduated with honors, and immediately became a seated officer in the 3rd squad. He continued to grow in power and skill, until he and Jumanji Kashiwakura were chosen to be the next two to duel for the title of Kenpachi.

He proved to be a maverick similar to his predecessor, but much more compassionate. He poured much of his own pay into rebuilding the squad grounds and helping out his soldiers, angering many noble houses by rejecting their offers to provide aid. He also rebuilt the culture of the squad, and it was under him the shift to focus on melee combat began.

Appearance: Fukushige kept his curly black hair long and loose. He had a sharp aquiline nose and meticulously kept mustache, and was incredibly lean and toned. He kept his uniforms and captain’s jackets as long as possible, and as such, they were often worn at the seams and edges.

====STAT FILE====  
Ujiya Fukushige  
Height: 5’6”  
Weight: 149 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Beef stew  
Birthday: August 3rd  
Hobby: Power naps  
Voted Most Likely To: Prank you

Years As Kenpachi: 82  
Successful Defenses: 104  
Shortest Fight: 15 seconds  
Longest Fight: 5m 38s

Battle Stats: Offense: 100, Defense: 90, Mobility: 80, Kido/Reiatsu: 50, Intelligence: 70, Physical Strength: 80, Total: 470.

Most Notable Defense(s): Takukichi Ikezaki. The bout was one of only a handful of succession duels held outside squad grounds. Ikezaki was critical of Fukushige’s character, seeing him as weak and sentimental, and not manly enough to rebuild the squad. While he did have immense raw power, Ikezaki didn’t have the speed needed to keep up with Fukushige, and he was whittled down and defeated. The duel also marked the last time anyone with a lightning type soul cutter challenged Fukushige.

Miya Sugita: An almost total unknown prior to her challenge, in a very short time she became seen as a credible and threatening challenger. She spoke little, but her words carried weight behind them as she called for Fukushige’s era to end. The whole squad got caught up in her aura, and things seemed to indeed be heading towards her taking the title of Kenpachi during the duel- but Fukushige and Rebellion Blade shocked the world again, surprising Sugita with a previously unseen ability of Rebellion Blade’s bankai and defeating her.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Rebellion Blade

Release Command: Shock the world

Appearance: Unsealed, it takes the form of a pata with a serrated blade; the guard and bracer have cloud embellishments, and there is red horse hair fringe attached to the outside of the guard. In bankai Fukushige becomes wrapped in a misty dark grey cloak with a fluffy collar.

Abilities:   
Shikai: Oncoming Storm. Passively absorbs all kinds of electricity, including bio-electricity and kido, from the surrounding area to increase cutting power.

Return Strike: Discharges stored electricity with boosted strength. The bolt is also phenomenally fast.

Bankai: Blade of the Conquering Storm

Thunder: Passively generates its own electric charge.

Eerie Impulse: Causes electrical charges in the surrounding area to produce a cutting effect, causing widespread lethal damage to most living organisms when unfocused.

Formation: Causes the blade or cloak to allow all but electric attacks to pass through, reforming a short time later.


	5. Makoto Takage

Makoto Takage (6th)

====BIO====  
Born in a rough Rukongai district, she was the oldest child, and had to learn the ways of the sword to defend herself and her siblings at a young age, later finding out that she actively enjoyed such confrontations. An intense desire to not only be strong, but to be challenged grew within her; she hated weakness and complacency. She set out to become a soul reaper and find a challenge among the squads, slowly making her way towards the Court of Pure Souls and leaving a wide trail of mayhem behind her. She defeated a popular Kenpachi, but as one she proved to be even more popular; the squad had healed, and was ready to embrace her rough and tumble attitude and coarse sense of humor. She was “one of the guys”, who partied hard but worked even harder. She was notable for taking on every challenger no matter how credible, and she became an icon for her looks as well as her soul cutter and power.

Appearance: Well known for her fiery red hair, Takage had an hourglass figure that was not quite as curvaceous as it was solid; she had a strong jawline and cheekbones, and a surprisingly charming smile. She always wore her uniform on the tight-fitting side of things, and made her captain’s jacket sleeveless.

====STAT FILE====  
Makoto Takage  
Height: 5’4”  
Weight: 126 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Beer  
Birthday: September 8th  
Hobby: Partying  
Voted Most Likely To: Start a fire

Years As Kenpachi: 38  
Successful Defenses: 112  
Shortest Fight: 1.09 seconds  
Longest Fight: 41.67 seconds

Battle Stats: Offense: 100, Defense: 100, Mobility: 70, Kido/Reiatsu: 40, Intelligence: 60, Physical Strength: 100, Total: 470.

Most Notable Defense(s): Getsuyuu Kajino. Kajino was a rare talent whose power and skill slowly but steadily expanded during Fukushige’s time, and she was known for defeating a powerful adjucha while still just an unranked officer. Her soul cutter Rippling Borderland was also seen as having some distinct advantages over Takage’s. With the full support of Squad Twelve and even some of Eleven she challenged Takage, only to be swiftly embarrassed by Takage’s far superior bladework; though exposed, she didn’t cave in, and lasted longer than almost anyone else against the Kenpachi.

Zuiho Semba: Semba had been one of the frontrunners to duel for the vacant title of Kenpachi after Momoshigahara’s death, but ultimately wasn’t chosen. After being passed over she trained even harder than before. She was a quiet but especially fierce warrior who refused to accept defeat, and was known for her durability and stamina. Though she was one of the few to match Takage’s swordsmanship, the Kenpachi only needed to land one solid blow to get the job done and end the furious clash.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Crimson Spring

Release Command: Awaken

Appearance: Unsealed, it appears much like a normal katana, but near the guard a short blade curls back down like a flower petal. In bankai it gains another such blade on the other side, and the blade lengthens slightly, and becomes straight and double-edged. The handle becomes a little longer and the pommel turns into a small and shortened version of the blade.

Abilities:   
Shikai: Heat Wave. Anything cut by Crimson Spring explodes in a blast of fire. The explosions can also be delayed with some focus.

Bankai: Scarlet Summer.

Burning Dew. The pommel constantly releases an extremely flammable and thin gas with a slight floral scent. The output can be controlled with some focus.


	6. Rumi Egashira

Rumi Egashira (9th)  
====BIO====  
Born in one of the inner Rukongai districts, she was bubbly and energetic from her youth up. She was compassionate, but in an odd twist, she always wanted to exercise that compassion as a soul reaper. She enrolled in the academy at a young age, and shocked everyone with her raw power. She graduated with honors, and in an omen of things to come, enlisted into Squad Four to serve under Captain Unohana. She learned much and became a scholar of both healing and swordsmanship. Her immense gifts and tireless work ethic continued to impress all of the squads, leading many to suspect she would at some point become a captain by recommendation- but that was not to be, as Yamamoto appointed her as the next Kenpachi, instead. Though she was well liked, her brief tenure is rarely brought up, and even then only by those who happened to be in Squad Eleven when she was.

Appearance: Slender and petite, Egashira had long blond hair kept in a princess cut, and warm green eyes. She had hooded eyes and a button nose, and something that was known but seldom brought up was that she had surprisingly large hands for her frame. She most commonly wore her captain’s jacket with a high collar, tied closed with a sash and knotted into a bow at the back.

====STAT FILE====  
Rumi Egashira  
Height: 5’1”  
Weight: 108 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Mochi  
Birthday: July 23rd  
Hobby: Studying  
Voted Most Likely To: Burst into song

Time As Kenpachi: Four months  
Successful Defenses: 0  
Shortest Fight: 7m 56.92s  
Longest Fight: 7m 56.92s

Battle Stats: Offense: 70, Defense: 100, Mobility: 80, Kido/Reiatsu: 100, Intelligence: 90, Physical Strength: 70, Total: 510.

Most Notable Defense(s): Her one and only defense was against Gosuke Kiganjo. While Egashira proved to be a brilliant tactician, she was simply no match for Kiganjo’s titanic physical strength and durability. She showed incredible heart and resilience in the stomach-churningly bloody and grisly duel, but ultimately, fell short.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Thousand Bubbles

Release Command: Shimmer

Appearance: The blade straightens and takes on an iridescent sheen, becoming double-edged and gaining a hoop at the end. In bankai, the blade and handle lengthen and several smaller hoops line both sides of the spine, which are bordered by the cutting edge on their outside.

Abilities: 

Shikai: Swell. The hoop on the end of the blade can enlarge at will, up to several dozens of times Egashira’s height. 

Blow: Inside the hoop is an iridescent film, and by swinging the blade it can form bubbles. Objects can be trapped inside the bubbles, which are surprisingly durable. The bubbles can also be popped on command(Burst), damaging anything inside them and close by; the damage increases with the size of the bubble.

Bankai: Million Bubbles.  
The smaller hoops constantly emit bubbles, and even more when swung. Bubbles can merge, and also be directed, though they have little physical force and can only impede movement in great numbers.


	7. Gosuke Kiganjo

Gosuke Kiganjo (10th)

====BIO====  
Born to a family of Court of Pure Souls gate guardians, Kiganjo was actually considered small by his family’s standards. He was a greatly loyal man, which started with his reverence for his family. They made it clear his size didn’t qualify him for a gatekeeping job but he felt he nonetheless could protect the court by becoming a soul reaper. His high ideals and easy-going manner made him a natural leader. Still, he coasted on his strength, only taking promotions he was offered, and not seeking them out.

He eventually became the vice captain of Squad Nine. He was a known powerhouse for many years, but his true potential stayed hidden due to his work ethic and stubbornness. He took inspiration from Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, who he thought affirmed that it was power and not size that made a true guardian of Soul Society. After Kenpachi Azashiro was sealed away, he began to actually train, and made preparations to challenge for the title of Kenpachi.

As Kenpachi, his office was inefficient, but his soldiers were fierce and zealous; they rallied around his morals and ideals. He wasn’t often roused to step into battle on behalf of his squad, but his presence always inspired confidence. Many estimate he would have had a much longer tenure as Kenpachi if not for his iconic and legendary successor.

====STAT FILE====  
Gosuke Kiganjo  
Height: 7’3”  
Weight: 695 lbs.  
Favorite Food: Pork chops  
Birthday: October 5th  
Hobby: Daydreaming  
Voted Most Likely To: Skip an important meeting

Years As Kenpachi: 102  
Successful Defenses: 37  
Shortest Fight: 4.81s  
Longest Fight: 41m 27.18s

Battle Stats: Offense: 100, Defense: 100, Mobility: 60, Kido/Reiatsu: 50, Intelligence: 80, Physical Strength: 100, Total: 490.

Most Notable Defense(s): Hidesumi Suigen. A strong ideological difference was what led to this clash: Suigen saw the squad as needing a more engaged and pragmatic approach to things. Everyone knew Suigen was not on Kiganjo’s level in terms of physical strength- few were- but he was one of the fastest soul reapers of his era. He actually proved to be a challenge, but Kiganjo’s surprising knowledge of defensive kido was able to keep him out of danger long enough to land one decisive strike. 

Dan’An Kadoi: One of Kiganjo’s earlier defenses. Kadoi had served under Kuruyashiki for most of his time as Kenpachi, and also under Egashira and Azashiro, becoming a trusted advisor and officer of the squad. She saw the squad as headed down a path of decline and wanted to return it to its glory days of Takage’s and Kuruyashiki’s time as Kenpachi. The duel was one of the most tense and breathtaking the squad had ever seen, but the harrowing bloodbath was won out by Kiganjo; Kadoi simply was too wounded, even though she was still alert. After this battle the number of Kiganjo’s challengers took a sharp nosedive and almost stopped completely.

====SOUL CUTTER====  
Five-Bone Castle

Release Command: Run your course

Appearance: Released, it takes the appearance of a massive Chinese executioner sword, with a hamon and three fullers, and a simple guard of three stacked plates of gold riveted together, and a handle wrapped in dark cord. In bankai its appearance is similar, but it becomes even larger: it gains five gold rings along the spine of the blade and a golden habaki crimped into five sections; the handle becomes covered with braided leather. And in both forms, the pommel takes the form of a black ring with a golden inlay.

Abilities: 

Shikai: Entrench. Cuts inflicted by the blade won’t stop bleeding unless covered by earth or mud. In addition, further wounds deepen already existing cuts.

Bankai: Iron-Bone Fortress

Battle Lines: Passively makes cuts inflicted gradually expand over time. 

Rashomon: Can be activated to raise up a durable metal gate to block attacks. The size can vary but the gate will usually be Kiganjo’s height.

Sasumata: Once the opponents have been wounded enough, this command allows for small spikes to be raised from the bones near wounded areas.


	8. Kenpachi Bonanza! Special Feature

Hey there everyone! In this month’s magazine your dream match-ups will get extra fuel, as we’ve polled each of the Kenpachi to get all the juicy details and opinions of their predecessors and successors. Let’s get started with the polls right away.

Best Swordsman : Uh, maybe we should have seen this coming: only two competitors received votes, Zaraki and Unohana, with Unohana winning in a landslide- and both she and Zaraki voted for him. The below results are for the second time we ran it by them, with Zaraki and Unohana excluded.

1: Momoshigahara (3)

2: Kuruyashiki (2)

2: Kiganjo (2)

3: Takage (1)

3: Tetsuyama (1)

3: Uematsu (1)

3: Fukushige (1)

8: Azashiro and Egashira (0)

Why Momoshigahara? 

“If it’s not Unohana, I really don’t know who to vote for,” Kenpachi Fukushige replied. “I mean, I know Takage is great- she beat me, after all- but it’s just hard to say. I’ve heard Kuruyashiki was an absolute monster, but that he had issues with releasing his soul cutter, so I just went with the other safe answer.”

“This was the choice I had when I  _ decided  _ to become Kenpachi: honest arrogance or deceitful false humility. To be quite frank, no one besides Unohana and Zaraki are even on the level below me in terms of pure swordsmanship skill,” Momoshigahara answered. “They’re all good. A couple of them are even very good. But better than me? No. Not even close.”

Strongest : A coveted title, we anticipated another landslide and specified this was physical strength only. There was still an obvious clear winner, but there were a few surprising votes.

1: Zaraki (6)

2: Kuruyashiki (2)

3: Takage (1)

3: Kiganjo (1)

3: Tetsuyama (1)

4: Egashira, Uematsu, Fukushige, Unohana, Azashiro, Momoshigahara (0)

“The man sliced a meteor into pieces! Meteor.  _ Pieces _ ,” Momoshigahara shouted over the phone. “If you’re talking about physical strength, then he’s the strongest ever, quite easily.”

“I know everybody’s expecting me to say myself, but no. I still remember the first time Kuruyashiki released his bankai,” Kiganjo said. “I thought the world was ending. No- hold on- I understood the question. You see, once he activates it and directs it to bite something, he has no part in the attack, and can move freely. There was this girl- Botan Takekawa- who’d been injured in the vasto lorde attack and was still living, but unable to move. She was a real cutie, and she caught Kuruyashiki’s eye as the jaws were closing. Well, the bite took care of the gillian no problem, but once it came down far enough Miss Botan was still in danger, and he just ran over and stopped the jaws with his bare hands. Jaws the size of the whole Court of Pure Souls, stopped like it was nothing. I still can’t believe it.”

Best Kido Practitioner : Perhaps the most surprising of the polls. Though Squad Eleven is more known for its melee fighters, it has had some standout magicians.

1: Unohana (4)

2: Azashiro (3)

3: Egashira (2)

4: Uematsu (1)

4: Momoshigahara (1)

6: Kiganjo, Tetsuyama, Takage, Fukushige, Zaraki, Kuruyashiki (0)

“Something that a lot of people don’t realize about Uematsu was that he was one of the most well-rounded fighters of his day,” Kenpachi Tetsuyama responded. “He was always a melee first kind of guy, but he was great with subtle uses of kido for offense and defense, too.”

“I saw Azashiro do so many things that had never been done before,” Marveled Kenpachi Egashiro. “It was like everything he did was magic! His use of his bankai as a metamagic tool was of course brilliant, but he had a lot of technical knowledge and artistry like you almost never see, even in the Kido Corps. For sure one of my heroes. Um, as a kido practitioner.”

“The sword was my first choice of tools, but of course not the only one I had in my arsenal,” Said Unohana. “From my medical studies I learned and created plenty of… _unique_ applications for kido- which I saw as offensive weapons, regardless of how others classified them. Such as using a barrier spell to stop a heart with a glance, a sealing spell to bypass defenses and shut off an individual’s soul sleep or binding chain, and so on.”

Fastest : Not many of the Kenpachi were known specifically for their raw speed, so we were very interested to get their take on this.

1: Unohana (3)

1: Momoshigahara (3)

3: Egashira (2)

4: Zaraki (1)

4: Fukushige (1)

4: Takage (1)

7: Uematsu, Tetsuyama, Kiganjo, Kuruyashiki, Azashiro (0)

“Even without that blatantly unfair soul cutter of hers, I still never met anyone faster than Li’l Momoshi,” Answered Uematsu. “No pop or jump scar, she would just straight up vanish. She never tried to innovate with flash step techniques like the Shihoin did, but in terms of raw speed, yeah, she gets my vote.”

“People just don’t understand how fast Unohana was,” Answered Momoshigahara. “The reason she was untouchable is because it didn’t matter how out of position she was: she still had the speed to correct her form in an instant once you took the bait and went for an opening. She was never going to try to outrun you, though she certainly could have if she wanted to; Unohana was the fastest blade, foot, and hand. Once the fight went to melee, it was going to stay there as long as she wanted- you weren’t escaping.”

“The data doesn’t lie: three of the top ten longest recorded flash steps belong to Egashira,” Explained Azashiro. “I believe hers was the most refined speed of the Kenpachi. She did much to streamline the theory of the basic techniques, and was in general fast and nimble.”

Best Bankai : Another highly coveted title, we were especially excited to get the results of this poll, which had some diverse answers.

1: Momoshigahara (2)

1: Azashiro (2)

1: Kuruyashiki (2)

1: Fukushige (2)

5: Tetsuyama (1)

5: Egashira (1)

5: Unohana (1)

8: Takage, Uematsu, Kiganjo, Zaraki (0)

“Of course Yachiru’s is good,” Zaraki said. “But best? Wouldn’t say so. To be honest, ‘sides from her, the only other soul reaper I knew of that got real famous out in my neck of the woods was Kuruyashiki. I’d hear about him and how strong he was, and how he had a huge soul cutter like nothin’ else- that was part of what initially got me interested in finally headin’ to the court and seeing what all the fuss was about. To have a soul cutter there’s no escape from and will crush you to nothin’ no matter how big you are- I’d say that’s the best kind.”

“No one’s soul cutter has the sheer power mine has- let’s make that very clear,” Kuruyashiki started. “But mine only has a few very specific situations in which it’s actually usable. Look at Takage’s soul cutter for example: high impact, explosive, and absolutely deadly at close range- but at the cost of high collateral damage; there are just some situations where you need to keep the risk to bystanders to a minimum. She understood that, and usually just didn’t release her sword in those times- and fortunately she was competent enough to have not needed to.

Then you’ve got something like Kiganjo’s soul cutter: big and weighty, and it allows him to dominate long and drawn out fights. But you won’t always have the time to stall things out; sometimes you need to end things quickly.

So, to me, this really came down to two swords: Momoshigahara’s, and Azashiro’s. Miss Yushika could use Grand Chariot at any range: long, close, mid; it’s far and away the best at ending a fight quickly, as she showed, but it’s also one of the best when you need to be more cautious and take things slowly; it has the highest class offensive capabilities as well as defensive ones.

And then Azashiro’s has those same traits but to an even greater degree- it makes him literally untouchable. Yamamoto may be the strongest, but in my book Azashiro has the overall greatest bankai of all time. Period.”

“I heard you try to hide your laugh just now,” Takage said. “But I’m serious. Egashira has the best bankai by a longshot. Take Momoshigahara for example. Everyone’s real high on her and her soul cutter- and I mean I can kinda see why- but Egashira? She could trap all those portals in a bubble and end her like  _ nothing _ . A lot of my guys talked about Tetsuyama’s being the best pure melee type, and you’d think that would be the best kind to take her on- uh, technically it is, but stay with me- except with all those bubbles flying around it’s going to distort your vision, and on top of that she’s plenty capable of just sending them towards your face and bursting them in your eyes if you get close, so it won’t matter if you’re an expert melee fighter. Then there’s that limp-dick wuss Azashiro. You think he’s got the most bat-shit insane bankai? Nope, you’re wrong. It’s Egashira. So let’s say he tries that body invasion technique: he gets all the way into Egashira, and then… he can’t get out. Egashira covers herself in her bubbles, and traps him in. Merges with the air? Egashira can just trap the air he’s in with a bubble, and then that prick takes a hard loss with one pop. Million Bubbles counters everything, and unless you happen to be Kiganjo and catch Egashira on a bad day, you can’t beat her.”

“The first one that comes to mind is Kiganjo’s,” Egashira says sheepishly. “Though as I think of it, perhaps it wouldn’t be the best, even if it is formidable. One that I’ve always admired is my predecessor Azashiro’s, it might be the most flexible of any of ours. Oh, but Fukushige’s is quite spectacular and versatile as well. Give me a moment… okay. I’m going to go with my mentor’s, Unohana’s. Her soul cutter’s shikai and bankai may seem to be at odds with each other, but they aren’t- none can be. Her soul cutter is all about the power of life  _ and  _ death, in  _ both  _ releases. All Things’ End is the offensive mirror of Flesh-Drops’ Gorge’s stomach acid, and any living being that comes into contact with it- Hollow, Human, or otherwise- dissolves and gets stripped of its nutrients, leaving just a skeleton or the bare foundations of their body. But then she could use that liquefied essence to restore herself, being fortified with the vitality of her victims- so she was essentially immortal. However, in practice, on the rare occasions she used it, it was first and foremost to reconstitute gravely wounded people, whether she was fighting or healing them; with her bankai, my former captain could reverse any injury, no matter how severe. So, what was in effect immortality, and the ability to heal any wound- I think Unohana has the perfect bankai.”

  
  


How Many of the Other Kenpachi Could They Beat ? For this one, we asked each of the Kenpachi how many of their predecessors and successors all the others could beat, and we got the wildest results of all the polls. The list is in chronological order.

Unohana: 9 (Highest: 10, Lowest: 8)

Uematsu: 4 (Highest: 7, Lowest: 1)

Tetsuyama: 4 (Highest: 6, Lowest: 3)

Momoshigahara: 7 (Highest: 9, Lowest: 6)

Fukushige: 5 (Highest: 8, Lowest: 2)

Takage: 4 (Highest: 4, Lowest: 4)

Kuruyashiki: 8 (Highest: 10, Lowest: 6)

Azashiro: 7 (Highest: 10, Lowest: 4)

Egashira: 5 (Highest: 10, Lowest: 0)

Kiganjo: 6 (Highest: 7, Lowest: 5)

Zaraki: 9 (Highest: 10, Lowest, 9)

“She was talented- I’ll acknowledge that,” Kiganjo began. “But, if I’m not the strongest Kenpachi- which I will also admit, despite my strength- and I still beat her, I really can’t foresee her beating any of the others. Egashira had a lot of skills, it’s just that she wasn’t very well suited to the environment she was placed in. I’m standing by my answer.”

“With how much she partied and got around at night, I’m honestly surprised Takage had any time to train,” Fukushige said. “There’s no denying she would always make an impact in battle, regardless of who she was facing. But after how she lost to Kuruyashiki, it casts a lot of doubt on how she’d fare against the rest of us. Look, she beat me, so that’s at least one Kenpachi I can confidently say she’d defeat. Azashiro is a physical lightweight she would blow to pieces in a heartbeat if the man had a more normal soul cutter- and while some would argue otherwise, I’d say she had the speed to get the drop on him; I think she could beat him. I think Tetsuyama and Uematsu both would be the type of person she’d love to fight, but as far as physicality and swordsmanship go, they’re just not in her league. Egashira, she just wouldn’t be ready for- too unorthodox, and the girl was a lot stronger than you’d think. Well, maybe she could beat her, if she’d studied- uh, is it too late to change my answers?”

“Ah man, to be honest? She could beat anyone. Maybe even Yamamoto,” Takage said. “People rag on Egashiro for losing her first defense- and rightly so, because what the fuck? a Kenpachi losing that soon?- but if things went just a little different, Kiganjo never gets off his fat ass, and she’s still Kenpachi today and never loses. Zaraki? Physically stronger, yeah, but not fast enough; her soul cutter confuses him, and she gets the win. Unohana? Better swordsman- no shit- but Egashiro’s probably the most well-rounded out of all of us- so that’s still a win there. And me? I’m a badass. Everyone knows that. But I’ve been beaten before, and if she could beat someone like Zaraki, then she could definitely beat me. Laugh all you want, but I’ve said nothing but facts here.”

“Uematsu was, if you’ll pardon my terminology, low grade flaming hot garbage,” Unohana stated. “The man couldn’t beat me if I let him, which also means he would fare even worse against Zaraki. And while I don’t think as highly of Momoshigahara’s swordsmanship as she and everyone else seems to, she’s somewhat decent, and far beyond Uematsu’s level. Kuruyashiki, genuinely and unironically, is a gimmick horse who only has his raw power going for him- but as far as raw power goes, I’ll admit his is adequate, and more than enough to handle Uematsu. Everyone else? Debatable, but I will say that Uematsu was from a different era where a flashy soul cutter alone wouldn’t have been enough to make it into Yamamoto’s squads. His one commendable trait was his opportunism, and he knew it- it was what kept him in office for as long as he was.”

“At first I was comparing myself to Uematsu- could I beat him? And then Tetsuyama did that before I had a chance to,” Momoshigahara began. “Then, I was comparing myself to Unohana, who’d been the only other female Kenpachi at that point. Then, I’d been Kenpachi for over two centuries, and started comparing me to myself. How could I improve, and push to get better? There’s always going to be lots of talk about who the best is. If you’re going by time as Kenpachi, well, you’ve only got two real choices: me or Kuruyashiki. If you’re going by pure skill and who’s the most well-rounded, then it’s Unohana without a doubt. 

So, what about leadership? Uematsu was a terrible human being, but- as much as it pains me to say this- after Unohana left the squad, he made the title of Kenpachi mean something again; Fukushige cleaned up the mess my last defense made, and turned things around for the squad.

But I realized being the Kenpachi wasn’t about any of those things. I’ll admit, I started thinking about retiring my last couple decades on the job, because being Kenpachi is about winning, pure and simple- and until Onizuka came along, I hadn’t even been challenged a little. So if being Kenpachi is about winning, then Zaraki is the best. Vasto lorde? He can beat one. Stern Ritter? He can beat one. Fullbringer? He can beat one. The deadliest soul reaper in history? He beat her, too. There’s no one he can’t beat, not even me.”


	9. Kenpachi Korner! Special Feature

We’re bringing you another special installment of this series, polling all the Kenpachi again and getting their takes on some of the questions we didn’t have time for in the last round. Starting off, we asked them,

Who Would You Most Want to Fight?

1: Takage (3)

2: Kiganjo (2)

3: Kuruyashiki (1)

3: Tetsuyama (1)

3: Fukushige (1)

3: Egashira (1)

3: Unohana (1)

3: Zaraki (1)

9: Momoshigahara, Azashiro, Uematsu (0)

“I know everyone’s expecting me to say Uematsu, but no,” Momoshigahara began. “It took a long time- much longer than I’d like to admit- but I got over never facing him. I moved on from that. And after I did, what I was looking for was a challenge- you can see where this is headed, right? 

There’s a part of me that wonders what facing Tetsuyama without the first-time nerves would be like, but I was still confident in the result even if I didn’t know how I would get there; with all due respect, he didn’t challenge me. I’ll admit I’m interested in finding out what Azashiro is capable of firsthand, too. I’ve heard he has quite the unorthodox soul cutter and was also skilled with kido. Zaraki, while of course he has the edge in raw power, I feel like he wouldn’t be a challenge of my whole technique. So, here we are, with Yachiru Unohana: the best in terms of pure skill. I would be at distinct disadvantages in swordsmanship, kido, hand-to-hand, strategy- in everything. I would lose horribly, and perhaps never beat her, but I’d hope to eventually lose to Unohana while fighting her as an equal.”

“Faced three of ‘em, beat three of ‘em,” Said Zaraki. “So I really don’t have all that many to pick from. But one guy I never had the chance to fight that I always wondered about was Kuruyashiki. So I guess it’d be him. He was supposed to be pretty strong, right? It oughta be fun.”

“Yes, really,” Takage started. “For multiple reasons. Egashira lost her first defense. I want to find out if it was a fluke, or if she really did just suck ass. Then there’s all that insanity about her soul cutter. And then, there’s those things that shouldn’t be possible I’ve heard she’s done with flash steps and kido. Just kinda wanna kick the hornet’s nest, ya know? She might not win, but I think she could surprise me and challenge me in lotsa ways.”

“No bullshit soul cutter, no kido, just an upfront swordsman,” Said Uematsu. “I feel like Takage would’ve been able to hang with us back in the old days. Knows her way around a sword and a man, right? She would’ve fit right in.”

“It would be Gosuke Kiganjo,” Egashira said firmly. “At that point in my career I’d certainly  _ trained  _ extensively, but had no real experience in combat against other soul reapers. But now, knowing what I do about Kenpachi Kiganjo and his sword, as well as being more prepared for a defense in general, I very deeply wish to face him again and make up for what happened in our first duel.”

“For me, the lineage of the office pivots on Egashira and Kiganjo,” Said Azashiro. “I, uh- I’ve faced Zaraki before, and am a believer in the various tales I’ve heard of his feats; I surmise he could have beaten many of our colleagues, if not all of them. So then, which of Kiganjo or Egashira is more worthy? A woman appointed- and did not have to duel for the vacant spot, but was  _ appointed _ \- as Kenpachi, or the man who soundly defeated such a prodigy? As I experienced first hand, Captain-Commander Yamamoto began to have lapses in judgement as he aged. So, to answer the question, I would most like to face Kenpachi Kiganjo. Regardless of her appointment, defeating a soul reaper of Egashira’s caliber is no mean feat, and as such I expect a duel with him would be rewarding.”

Who Would You  _ Least  _ Like to Duel ?

The flipside of the question, we got both predictable and some highly unexpected answers.

1: Zaraki (4)

2: Unohana (2)

3: Kuruyashiki, Azashiro, Fukushige, Egashira, Momoshigahara (1), 

8: Tetsuyama, Uematsu, Takage, Kiganjo (0)

“No, I haven’t been speaking with Takage,” Kiganjo replied. “I have my own reasons. See, while I did defeat her without being pushed to my limit, doing it wasn’t easy by any means: she is, I’ll admit, much more knowledgeable in kido, and faster than me. Even though I rarely spoke with others from outside my squad, when I vice-captained the ninth squad, there were many articles she contributed to about the theory of a very wide array of advanced topics, and also some about her making those discoveries. This… is hard to admit, but in private I’ve felt threatened by real, true genius. I’m capable in my own way and I believe in it and I’ll stick to it, but people like Egashira have always baffled me. And I got to see in person some of the things she’s capable of, so I know perhaps better than most others her intelligence; her growth is quadratic, and not linear. I might have fooled her once, but I don’t think Egashira is the type that I’d be able to bamboozle twice. Of course Zaraki would be a difficult opponent, but I don’t think he or any of the others have the same kind of threat in repeated duels as Egashira.”

“I… yeah, I think I’ll go with him,” Began Kuruyashiki. “Azashiro beat me once, could probably do it again, and has the greatest bankai of all time; the counters to it are few, and they’re costly and unintuitive- but they’re there. Now that I know how his soul cutter works, I’d be willing to go down that route to beat him. Zaraki, on the other hand, would be hard to counter because his style is so instinctive and raw. You could come at him a thousand different ways and he would just brute force or adapt his way out of all of it. And people like that, let me tell ya, they can be real frustrating to face if the fight gets long and drawn out, because you’ll get flustered and too in your thoughts trying to find your next angle, and they’ll stay aggressive no matter what you throw at them. So while his power doesn’t scare me, a duel with Zaraki would just be a gigantic hassle that I’d very much prefer to avoid if at all possible.”

“For the purposes of this question, let’s assume all of my colleagues are at a level of skill roughly equal to mine,” Unohana said. “Tetsuyama and Kiganjo’s soul cutters have excellent strategic use in extended fights, but require direct contact to be effective, and they themselves have little knowledge of long-range combat. They would be formidable, but not to a displeasing degree. My former protégé Miss Egashira would be a very formidable threat in many areas, but having helped train her, I would know what to expect. At my level of skill Momoshigahara would present a refreshing challenge in swordsmanship- no, no no no, how far the gap was before is unimportant- so while the angles of attack would be complex and shifting, to me, they would not be off-putting. Despite all the various challenges my colleagues might give, there is only one tool that would be worrisome in the capable hands of one intent on victory, which is Fukushige’s bankai. Regrettably, he never fully explored it. Had he, however, I believe he would have a potential against living organisms that my other colleagues simply can’t match. So, for the purposes of this question, my answer is Mister Fukushige.”

“Y’all are starting to piss me off. There’s a difference between _wanting_ to fight everybody and being down to fight anybody. I’m the second,” Takage answered, “So it’s not a paradox for there to be a person I would _least_ like to fight. And that person would be Unohana. Egashira, she would be second; she may seem all cutesy, but there ain’t an ounce of bitch in that woman and I know she could do terrifying things. But she’s not straight up inhumane like Unohana. Unohana would be able to break you mentally with swordsmanship alone, and she would enjoy it, too.”

Who Had the Best Succession Duel ?

A very highly prized title, we had several hundred to choose from and wanted to get the perspective of the Kenpachi themselves on this. There was a lot of historical knowledge apparent in the answers, and some very different opinions, as well.

1: Kiganjo (3)

2: Momoshigahara (2)

3: Kuruyashiki, Azashiro, Fukushige, Uematsu, Takage, Tetsuyama (1)

8: Egashira, Unohana, Zaraki (0)

“Before the title became transferable and open for approach, there was a duel I had against Katsu Aozora which I consider to be the standard,” Unohana said. “The setting of killing intent and ruthless opportunism gave rise to a number of unorthodox applications of foot and bladework, ones that I very rarely saw afterwards. Aozora didn’t have the power necessary to put me in mortal danger, but she did have the correct mindset to challenge me. And, since the levels of power don’t follow a linear path from me to Zaraki, it’s that mindset I would be looking for.

That being said, I witnessed Tetsuyama become Kenpachi, became thoroughly disappointed with the direction of my title, and never attended another duel in person. But, as a sort of guilty pleasure, I kept records of the duels. From all the talk and articles and photographs and videos, it’s become clear that only a small handful of my colleagues had the right mindset to have a good duel. Some of the others may have been entertaining from a purely theatrical view, but that’s beside the point- the best succession duel belongs to Momoshigahara and Onizuka. The effect it had on swordsmanship theory taught in the academy and the squads, as well as Momoshigahara’s willingness to put her life on the line for victory, place it well above the vast majority of other succession duels, in my opinion.”

“Ah, this’ll take a while,” Tetsuyama sighed. “I’ll talk it out. First one that comes to mind is Uematsu becoming Kenpachi. I wasn’t around for that one but I heard it set the tone for his time as Kenpachi. Then there’s Fukushige’s duels- so many classics, but none that really stand out… pff… Ah, Ieyasu versus Kuruyashiki was another good one. Great one. Azashiro, Egashira… yeah. I remember now. I think I’ll go with Kiganjo versus Kadoi. Skill, determination, drama, all off the charts. It was absolutely insane. Closest anyone ever came to beating Kiganjo, too.”

“Although the obvious one is an all-time great, I actually think Kiganjo versus Manabe was better,” Said Fukushige. “Manabe had that bizarre kido type soul cutter based on origami that he could almost never use effectively, but he managed to sucker in Kiganjo and do incredible things with it- repeatedly. And this was after the Kadoi duel, too- so Manabe knew  _ exactly _ what he was getting himself into, had a plan, and executed it to near perfection. I don’t think any of the other duels have made me laugh or shocked me with genius like this one did.”

“The way I see it, a succession duel is about confidence,” Kuruyashiki began. “Nobody wants to serve under a weak captain or Kepnachi. So those duels where the Kenpachi’s victory was in serious question- like Momoshigahara versus Onizuka or Fukushige versus Sugita- they’re out. Short succession duels aren’t the best, either. A great example is when Takage beat Zuiho Semba in their duel, rising to the challenge in swordsmanship and slicing in half someone who’d laughed off multiple adjucha attacks in one blow. That gave the squad a level of confidence in her only a few of us got close to. 

But the best of all time is still Tetsuyama versus Yasutora Osono. Osono’s soul cutter, Blossoming Mountain, was an earth type with an enormous scale- it was the biggest anyone would see until I came along. Osono was a powerhouse and incredible swordsman, too, who probably could have been Kenpachi during some other era. Each split-second of this duel was intense because everyone knew how devastating it could get… except it never got there. Tetsuyama gave it everything he had and kept up the pressure on Osono until he cut them down. This one didn’t just give the squad confidence in him, it let everyone in Soul Society know that the Kenpachi was still the Kenpachi. It wasn’t the flashiest win, which is why most don’t remember it, but it’s the best.”

“I think the best duel would be Ieyasu versus Kuruyashiki,” Egashira said. “Me and most of my colleagues had been able to make use of our soul cutters with relative freedom, but in this one, Kuruyashiki had just been banned from using his bankai in the Court of Pure Souls. On top of that, Ieyasu’s soul cutter allowed him to read his opponents movements and in many cases predict them, so Kuruyashiki had a very slim margin of error and had to  _ really  _ test the limits of his skill. Ieyasu had plenty of talent aside from his soul cutter’s ability as well, so I think this duel was the best display of pure skill and swordsmanship.”

Who’s the Next Kenpachi ?

When we asked Kenpachi Zaraki this we did so with a robo-call, but fortunately, it went smoothly. There were really only a few answers, but we’ve got them here for you.

  
  


“I know this about the longest longshot you can get, but hear me out: the next Kenpachi is Aizen,” Takage said. “Whether his sentence gets reduced or he makes it all the way through, he’ll be out eventually. And when he does, he’ll be itching for some action. What? Well, you could say it’s just as likely Zaraki is still in office then, too, but if the end of the invasion was anything to go by, Aizen will be more than strong enough to deal with him at that point. Get your tacos ready.”

“Look. The man sliced a meteor into pieces with a fresh and unmastered shikai,” Momoshigahara said. “Is there anyone currently alive who can match that? Unlikely. Is there anyone currently alive who would be able to defeat Zaraki once he masters his soul cutter? Absolutely not. People with the raw power Zaraki has only very rarely come along, and it takes centuries to grow and develop yourself to the level of power  _ below _ him. So what I’m looking at is who’s coming through the Great Cycle, and there’s one individual that immediately stands out: the Soul King. When the Soul King is reborn into Soul Society, he will be the strongest. It’ll be a long time in the future, probably in the next millennium due to how the Great Cycle is regulated, but it  _ will _ happen. And if he isn’t recognized for what he is, he will be the strongest and the twelfth- because Zaraki won’t be losing to anyone else until he comes along- and final Kenpachi.”

“Currently, I would expect the next Kenpachi to be Ichika Abarai,” Said Azashiro. “She has a startling amount of power already at her age, and the potential for incredible growth similar to her parents. It would be many years in the future, but I believe she will eventually become strong enough to be the next Kenpachi, if she would be motivated to.”

“That’s really not something I’m worried about,” Zaraki said with a chuckle. “I’m still looking for that fight, but to be really honest with ya, I feel like it’s getting less likely the more I see. Ichigo, he’s gone back to the world of the living. I guess that’s for the best with him being human and all, but out of anyone I’ve faced in a real long time or maybe ever, I'd say he would have the best shot at being next. His friends got real strong, too, so maybe it could be that Renji guy. Well, next one up is tricky. But if it’s gotta be a soul reaper, I think the person I  _ want _ to be Kenpachi next is Ikkaku. He may not be there now, but he’s strong. I think he could do a good job leading the squad.”


End file.
